Dendri comes from the Greek word dendron meaning "tree." The name reflects the importance of the family tree in the Foundation as well as the importance of trees to the bourbon industry. The logo represents interconnected relationships.

DendriFund was established in 2011 with a founding donation from Brown Forman following the sale of Fetzer Vineyards with the intent of honoring their operational "E3 Philosophy" (Environment, Economics, Social Equity). In partnership with the Brown family, sixth-generation owners of Brown Forman, the foundation was incorporated as an independent 501c3 in 2012 and the Brown Family has since made significant additional donations to the corpus. Today, they continue to contribute and govern alongside company management and independent board directors, leading DendriFund to what it is today – a unique foundation that explores models for how individuals, business, and communities can work together to align around common goals. We believe models that inspire joint action between diverse stakeholders are critical to addressing the complex environmental challenges facing humanity today – and cannot be successfully addressed in silos. For instance, businesses such as the bourbon industry cannot make products without natural resources – no wood, water, and grain, no bourbon. No bourbon – no jobs or state revenue from companies like Brown-Forman nearing 150 years of community leadership. No one looking after the health of our fields, forests, and watersheds in which these natural resources grow and are harvested – reduced quality of life in communities and increased risk of depleted natural resources. It is all connected – so our approach is as well.

We envision a community that has a deep understanding of the value of nature and what it means to the lives of human beings, to the prosperity of business and communities, and to relationships all around us.

To achieve this vision we ENGAGE and INVEST in:

To inspire joint action to improve the natural, social, and economic environment for future generations.



With a home base in Louisville, KY and importance of the bourbon whiskey industry in our region, we have prioritized WOOD, WATER and GRAIN as our areas of program focus. Wood, water, and grain are the natural ingredients essential for making whiskey – which are grown and harvested from fields, forest, and watersheds.

Click here for a list of the Board of Directors